The Life of a Fighter
by silverspirit737
Summary: Shang. Amazing fighters, that much we know. But what did they have to do to reach that level? Follow the life of a Shang from the beginning.
1. Introuction

A/N: OKAY! If you've read SoNtS then the beginning of this will sound familiar. And if you've read my bio then you'll know that's because I changed my mind last minute to make this NOT about Arra.

Alright. So this is bound to be some kind of fun. Action definitely with possibly some romance tied it.

Disclaimer: I will write this once and once only for this entire story. FACTS BELONG TO TAMORA PIERCE. ANYTHING SIMILAR TO HER BOOKS...PROBALBY HERS. Some of it this is mine though so please be kind and ask.

Enjoy!

**Introduction**

The ragged brown-haired woman pushed the young girl out to the Shang. He looked her over, poking her ribs and tugging at her arms and even fingers. Finally he signaled someone over to see if she had the Gift. When the man said she didn't he nodded his acceptance.

The tired woman looked at the brown on white splotched mare. "Can she take the horse?" She asked the man. He, once again, nodded.

Narim hugged the four year old. "I'm sorry. I-I would take care of you if I could but..." Her voice trailed on knowing that the explanation would mean next to nothing to the girl. The apology was to make her feel better but her chest ached with the decision she had eventually made.

Kyrie nodded. Narim's eyes looked sad. Kyrie knew something big was about to happen. Something that would change the rest of her life, for better or for worse who knew. Narim knelt down and held Kyrie's slender shoulders. She pulled the small girl to her placing her mouth by the small girl's ears. "I'm sorry."

Kyrie lifted her hands to Narim's back returning the almost hug. "Thank you."

Narim slipped something into Kyrie's hand. "I know you loved this."

The older woman pushed her away, turned and left without turning back. Kyrie watched her for long moments one hand on the mare's flank. She peaked into her hand finding a small figurine.

At this point one of the Shang that was there thought he knew what would come next. He had spent time around the three and four year olds who came to them. With all the crying and screaming he had heard over the years he had learned there is very little one can do except console and help the child move on to the next part of their lives.

He went to stand in front of the very small child to block her view of the woman who had left her behind. _She probably won't last long. She may quit later when this proves to be too hard._ He put on a kind smile and held out his hand. "Hello, what's your name?"

The girl looked up and met his eyes steadily with her own obsidian ones. Her voice was soft but sure. "I go by Kyrie."

The Shang wanted to take a step back in...in...he couldn't name what. Her eyes were sharp and her voice was steady. There were some children who came like looking something like this. Dry-eyed and knowing no better. Those were some they usually picked up from raided cities where their families had died in horrible ways. The children were already broken. Their innocence lost. But there was something about the way Kyrie stared at him so bluntly that made him feel small, or maybe lesser.

She didn't look broken, unfixable in ways that mattered most. _Sometimes its like that though._ Realizing that his smile had faltered in his thoughts he brought it up again. "Well, Kyrie, come on then. I am Treya the Shang Crane."

"It is very nice to meet you." Kyrie said formally. Again he was struck by something in her voice or demeanor that seemed off. He threw it away in his mind as just another thing children did. Their innocence sometimes caused them to try and act like the adults they admired.

"Am I supposed to go anywhere?" She asked. "T' stand perhaps?"

The Shang Crane blinked dark eyes, once, twice then nodded. "Oh, yes. Over here please."

He watched as she walked in the direction he had pointed. Black secretive eyes, blue black hair and a round white face. She was the picture of childhood perfection. There was just..._there is something I'm sure I'm missing about this I just can't grasp it._ Kyrie turned and gave him a brief, reassuring smile.

_Reassuring?_ Now his mind was playing tricks on him.

* * *

A/N: Short. I know. Be patient, the next one is longer. BUT! Alas... the next one probably won't be out for a little while. Toss some reviews my way and I might change my mind... 


	2. Up The Mountains We Go

A/N: Apologies in advance!!! I really like the idea of this story but ... I'm not four years old anymore and my memory isn't that good. I can barely remember what I did yesterday...anyways! If the little tykes don't sound so much like little tykes then please, please forgive me.

Read on!

**Up the Mountains We Go**

They were moving now. Or, as one of the men had put it, on the move.

Seeing her large mount, one of the tall Shang had taken the liberty of lifting her onto Rayto's back. There were maybe five other children her age but they all rode on something like a topless caravan. The Shang Crane stayed close watching her at all times.

"Rayto." He said aloud. "That's a nice name."

Kyrie nodded. "It means Starshine."

"In what language?" The Crane smiled willing to play along. Children made up games sometimes.

Kyrie shrugged. "An old one I think." She looked up to the mountains. Every yard they traveled made those peaks pierce the bright sky at a sharper angle. "Is where we're going near those mountains?"

"Those mountains are where we are going." Treya said. The look he turned towards those mountains was so full of wonder and reverence that Kyrie looked back at them too. She was already small but even if she had been the tallest person in the world these mountains would have made her feel insignificant.

The grass had left the ground a while back. They didn't dare scale the earth leviathan. That close to the mountains there didn't seem to be anywhere else to go from here. One mountain was enough to make her want to give up. How could one get around something so colossal?

The Crane took one look at her face and laughed. Kyrie turned her wide eyes to him. She smiled too.

Soon after that all the children had to get out of the caravan and Kyrie had to walk.

"We may have to leave your horse behind." A Shang woman said.

"No." Kyrie shook her head. "We can't."

"We have to." The woman repeated patiently.

"No."

"Large breed horses like her can die in the mountains." She got as much sympathy in her gray eyes as possible and smiled. "The paths are too rough."

"I am small and weaker and I'll survive. She is big and strong. She can do it." She would keep Rayto by her side for as long as she could. Besides Rayto was a good horse she wouldn't die and leave her alone.

The Shang tensed for a moment in her frustration. "Alright then."

The path didn't start out bad. Kyrie felt fine. She held Rayto's reins and felt like she could have gone forever. It didn't feel like she was slowly going up the side of a mountain.

The pebbled path was soon joined by larger rocks. Kyrie's foot caught on one causing her to crash to the floor. She immediately sat up and held her nose. She gasped in the air and found she couldn't grab as much as she wanted. "Ow, ow, ow."

The Shang Crane crouched down and picked her up into a standing position. He grabbed her face, his hand big enough to cup her entire jawbone, and pulled her hand off her face. Treya took two fingers and pinched her nose lightly making Kyrie wince. "It's not broken. Some scratches and you might have a bruise here and there but nothing bad."

"But it hurts."

"It will do that." He left to keep the children moving.

She wiped away the answering tear. A month ago someone would have been there to help her in an instant. A month ago her mother would have hugged and kissed Kyrie and tickled her until she forgot it had ever hurt at all. And time moved on as it does without a care of the lifeforms affected, and here she was a month later from those times somewhere different being someone different.

Rayto nudged her chest. Kyrie patted her and moved forward.

The road wound oddly, becoming thick at some places and thin and difficult at others. Rayto managed without major injury but Kyrie wasn't faring so well. Her legs wanted to give up on her. Every other step her leg shook involuntarily. A powerful yawn took her so fully she had to stop walking, throw her head back and open her jaw until she thought it would fall off.

"Rest stop!" One of the Shang men bellowed from the top of the line.

Kyrie wasn't close to the front. She looked ahead and saw that the path got considerably more steep before she was going to be able to rest. She clutched Rayto's rein's tighter. Her knees grew weak twice but her legs only gave out once. Still she pushed on. _I'm almost there. Almost..._Her legs gave out and her hand slipped off the reins. Despite bits of rock digging into her skin uncomfortably through the cloth, Kyrie's eyes drooped.

Someone pressed a something to her lips and cool water made a trail down her throat. Strong arms lifted her up and she was pressed against something warm.

Her mind was drifting away.

"Sometimes I forget how fragile they are." A voice Kyrie's tired mind didn't care to recognize said.

"One can only hope it gets beaten out of them." A female voice put in.

* * *

Kyrie woke up in discomfort. Or maybe that was an understatement. Her body hurt. Breathing felt funny. Like the air around her didn't have enough substance to keep her going.

"UP! Everyone up!" A voice shouted into the room.

Immediate cries followed and Kyrie felt like joining them though she didn't know why. She looked around and noticed she was on a mildly comfortable mat with at least ten others around her.

"Let's go! Come on!" Kyrie didn't think it was a suggestion. She slowly sat up her face scrunched in pain. Some of the boys were already standing everyone was at least making a move to sit up except the bump next to her. Kyrie pushed off the thin blanket. Maybe the person was just having a slow start.

Kyrie saw the lump under a duplicate of the same thin blanket she had move. It squirmed then turned on the mat and ended up facing her. She saw it was a boy with very light blond hair and a few freckles. He didn't seem to be waking up and the yelling man didn't seem to be changing his mind about wanting them up.

She took one of the bony shoulders and shook it. Putting most of her strength in the movement she found out two things. One, her back hurt as well as her belly and legs. And two, this boy was a very heavy sleeper.

With open yawning mouths and many fists rubbing eyes, tired children were starting to file out of the room. Maybe she should leave him behind? Maybe he wouldn't get in too much trouble.

An image of a yelling man with a raised bloody fist pushed its way from the back of her memory to the front. With renewed incentive she took her forefinger and thumb and pinched the boy's nose hard.

"Yow!" The blond boy jerked away. Pale green eyes shot open. It didn't take long for him to find who had done it. "Why did you do that?"

"We have to get up."

The boy groaned. "I'm too tired." He put his head back down on his arm and did seem to go back to sleep.

Well, she couldn't wait any longer. Almost everybody was up. A tall, broad shouldered man was coming into the room. Kyrie stood, not wanting the man to think she was still asleep. She pointed to the boy.

The man came over. He nodded to her and said in a deep voice. "Just line up outside with the others."

Kyrie made slow progress to the door due to her soreness. Lucky for her she hadn't been to far to begin with. She looked back when she was at the door to see the man lifting up the boy to his feet with ease.

Just like the man said, there was a line. She took her place at the end, but outside the room her last thought was on the line of people.

They were high! For a moment, inside the room, she'd forgotten they were climbing up a mountain yesterday. Right now there was no doubt they were in the mountains but she was finding it hard to trust her eyes all the same. The structures were built up the side of the mountain. It jut out, creating a man made cliff. It was on a place where two peaks were not so far, in fact they probably shared the same base.

Kyrie took slow steps closer to the edge. By the bare light of early morning, she couldn't be sure but there was a strong flowing stream in a very green valley. She had to squint but she saw it well enough to believe there were even more structures across the other side connected to this side by a bridge.

Suddenly she was pulled back. A yelp escaped her as the very large Shang man from before lifted her and put her back in line next to the blond boy.

"I-I was just looking." Kyrie stuttered, still shook from the complete abruptness and power.

"You've got to be careful." Was all he said. He made a motion to the Shang leading the line and they set off.

"You're dumb aren't you." It wasn't a question and it came from the blond boy behind her.

"At least I woke up on time."

"Yeah, just so you can fall and die."

She stopped and turned around. "I was not going to fall!"

He grinned at her. "You were the one who pinched me." He reached out and before Kyrie could even guess at what he was going to do he pinched her nose. "There, now we're even. I'm Jared."

"Kyrie." She said slowly, confused by him. By chance she remembered that the line had moved on without them. She turned and moved as fast as she could with the soreness. She practically limped. Kyrie couldn't remember a time when her body had hurt so much without visible injuries.

Luckily, the line wasn't too far without them. The tail of it had just turned into another room.

"There you two are. Come over here."

Kyrie was pulled to one side and Jared another. She lost track of everything except someone holding out her arms and making sure she stood straight. Another person took a rope with equally placed knots and held it against her body. The person called out a few numbers and Kyrie was free to go. Or rather, ushered somewhere else.

"Name?"

All the adults she has seen so far looked tough, a somewhat hardened look on their face and they were built. This woman had slender fingers and her face had a delicate roundness to it a streak of gray hair was pulled away from her face along with the other chestnut brown hair.

"Your name please." The woman said gently. "Do you remember your full name?"

Kyrie nodded.

"Then tell me."

"Kyrie Lalai."

"Very nice." The woman said, fingers working.

Next thing she knew, someone was handing her a folded pile of clothes and she was pushed outside the door to wait in the line again. Jared came out not too long after her.

"What are we supposed to do with these?" Jared leaned around her and looked at the others to her right.

"Some of the clothes they're wearing aren't very nice." He said.

Kyrie looked too. Her own clothes were well used at best but most of the others wore little better than rags. One mousy-haired child was even clutching the small pile of clothes to his chest like it was a precious gift. As an afterthought, she examined Jared's clothes. He looked like he'd only worn them once, yesterday probably, not for days and days in a row. They were simple but well made. he even has shoes. They looked comfortably used instead of the barely held together sandals. Most wore shoes that were much too large for them because it was all they could find. One or two of the fidgeting children had no shoes at all.

Kyre might have said something, anything really, but Jared was called back into the room. he heard a yelp or two and after about ten or fifteen minutes Jared came back out in some of the clothes he'd been given shoeless and ...and...all of the fair hair on his head was gone.

"Kyrie."

She entered at the sound of her name. A sturdy looking female Shang with long brown hair met her. A smile lit her face as she closed the door behind Kyrie.

"I told you the next one was a girl, Naka." The woman took the pile of clothes from Kyrie. "The cute one."

"Oh, yeah, because that narrows it down." Came the muffled another from the back. "You think they're all cute."

The woman laughed and picked out a pair of small breeches and a shirt and put them aside. Taking the other clothes, she motioned Kryrie to follow her. The woman led her to the back of the room where the wall looked like it was made of boxes. She pulled out one of the boxes like a cabinet.

"This is yours. You can keep all your belongings you can fit in here." The young woman put Kyrie's extra clothing in it. She noticed Kyrie's fingers closed around something. "Oh, hey, what's that?"

She reached out a hand to see what it was. Kyrie pulled back.

"It's okay. If its something you want to keep, you can put it in here." Kyrie reluctantly dropped what she hand into her new little cubby. The young woman smiled at her. "A figure of the Mother Goddess. You'll need her. No matter what people say, we're only women trying to live fairly in a man's world. Naka!" She yelled to the back. "Can you do her hair?"

A tan young man walked out of the door in the back. "Why can't you do it?"

The woman positioned Kyrie on a stool. She sighed. "Just look at her hair. Beautiful at this age already. I think it would physically hurt me to take it all away."

"I'll physically hurt you." The male grumbled. He took a chunk of Kyrie's black blue hair and with a sudden snip it fell to the floor.

"Tsk, tsk. You remember what happened the last time you said something like that?" The woman warned.

"Yeah, yeah." He cut off as much of her hair as he could and then took a shaver to the rest. Kyrie, too shocked in spite of seeing Jared's state, didn't move.

The young woman sighed. "I'm glad they don't make us keep our hair short anymore."

The youth shrugged. "It's easier if children don't have to worry about hair or bugs that like to live in it."

"I know."

He finished up and went back through the door he came in. Kyrie couldn't stop touching her head, even when the woman told her to strip down and get in a tub filled with warm water. Kyrie was scrubbed thoroughly, even her head. She was dressed in the new clothes and never saw her old attire again.

"My name is Sarah." The woman said. "If you've got a problem come to me, I can help. Can you repeat my name?"

"Sarah." Kyrie said quietly.

Kyrie sat down next to Jared. When she sat down he slid to the ground too. They didn't really need to say anything to each other. They already understood how the other felt in this situation. The both of them just sat their touching their own heads because their bodies were not yet used to the smoothness. Just like their bodies were not used to the lack of weight.

They waited until everyone was done. Some kids came out crying, others angry. Her stomach growled loudly just as the last person went in the room. She groaned.

"I'm hungry."

"Me too." Jared said. Others sounded their agreement.

"Oh, shut up." A boy down the line said.

"Leave me alone!" Came the shrill answer. "Why do you have to be annoying? I'm moving."

"You can't move. We're in a line." The conviction in his voice would have convinced anyone except maybe the person he was talking to because Kyrie saw one of the other people stand a move down. Kyrie guessed it was a girl. She came and sat to Kyrie's left.

"I'm Elena."

Elena had straight, pale brown eyebrows over dark blue eyes. Kyrie was about to give her own name but Jared spoke up first.

"Go away."

Elena made a frustrated sound. "I wasn't talking to _you_."

"So?"

"Why should she talk to you? You're a boy. She probably doesn't even want to be your friend."

"Well, you're too late. I am her friend." Jared stuck his tongue out.

"I--"

"I'm Kyrie." Kyrie spoke.

The look on Jared's face said betrayal but Elena was smiling.

"I think we're goin' now." Kyrie said seeing a Shang come over. He told all of them to stand and follow him.

Elena groaned. "I'm hungry."

"Then you're in luck." The Shang said. "Food is on its way."

So much had happened already and yet Kyrie managed to be happy that she would eat, at least.

* * *

A/N: Haha. I _do_ remember that in kindergarten though. We acted like friends were objects. He's already _my_ friend! But he was mine! Sorry... maybe we were kinda strange.

Now, I'm no mind reader but I _know_ you are just _dying_ to **REVIEW**!!!


	3. Day One in the Mountains

A/N: Man, it took me long enough. Here we go!

**Day One in the Mountains**

"Are you _still_ hungry?" Elena asked credulously.

Kyrie nodded looking sullenly at her empty plate. She had eaten it so fast she couldn't remember what had been on it to begin with or how it tasted. It had satisfied only a portion of the vast hunger she felt. She rested her chin on the table. Some golden brown thing took up her vision. It smelled like bread.

She sat up bolt straight. Jared took his hand off the top of the roll and pushed it towards her a little.

"You can have it. I'm not hungry anymore."

Kyrie's immediate reaction was to reach out but she hesitated. Narim had always told her she ate to much. Would someone chastise her here? "Are you sure?"

"I gave it to you didn't I?"

Elena laughed. "She doesn't want it 'cause its _yours_."

"Well she can't have yours because you ate it. Like a pig." Jared said. "Oink, oink, oink!"

Kyrie laughed ignorant to the fact that he called Elena a pig even though she herself was eating more than both of them. "Thank you for the food Jared."

Jared grinned.

"Hey! Why are you sitting with girls?" A boy was standing and pointing right at Jared.

His face went red. "Because you're ugly and I don't like you!"

"You like girls! You like girls!" The chant spread to the other boys.

Kyrie took the roll seeing Jared's scalp turn red too and fearing he would rescind his offer.

* * *

"I worry about the next generation of Shang." The Shang Lion sighed, looking at the scene before him.

Treya laughed. "You say that every year."

"Every year I worry." He sighed again. "That one there. Not talking just eating the roll. What do you think?"

Treya the Shang Crane found who he was looking at but didn't recognize who it was from yesterday. The shaving always threw him off. "I say give that one a chance. I don't know why you judge so harshly at this age."

"You'll learn that sometimes your first instinct is right." Alair, the Lion said.

"Have you ever been wrong?"

"Who can tell?"

Treya thought this could easily become a circular argument and let it go. He watched them, each indistinct shaved head. _Every year he worries about the Shang they'll become but I have to worry about them getting there._

In all fairness, this task wasn't left solely to him but there were days when it felt like it. Most forgot, whether on purpose or not, what kind of childhood they had here. They usually remembered working hard but the loneliness and confusion they tended to push away.

"They're children." The words escaped Treya.

"We've got to make them more than that though."

_Children need love or some kind of affection to function._ Treya thought but didn't say aloud. There was no point in trying to explain that to the Lion.

"Alright. So you want to introduce them to the older ones?" Treya asked. The question was more to be sure they were on the same page. I was the regular procedure to-

"No." The Lion was still staring at the young ones. They were starting to yell now. "I want them to start tomorrow."

Had his words finally gotten through after all these years? "Really?" His hope deflated when another thought came to him. "What am I supposed to do with them the rest of the day?"

The Shang Lion shrugged. "Find something."

He limped away and left Treya very frustrated. Obviously he would have to do _something_ but how did one keep twelve children occupied? And why had the Lion suddenly changed procedure? Treya would like to have believed that it was because the man had felt something for this group of children. Alair was hardly the type, however. He was head over the youngsters from ages three to eight because of his distance concerning them.

That wasn't to say he had no heart but he knew what needed to be done and would make sure even the young ones did it. Others might have felt the need to be soft where Alair was not afraid to be firm. _I don't even know why I'm here if that's their aim_. Treya scratched his forehead. He was going to need a leave soon. The Shang did it often but it was something Alair had not for some time.

"I'll see if I can borrow Irunaka and Sarah from their classes to help." He said to himself. "Maybe I'll take them down to the valley."

* * *

Kyrie finished the roll. Jared was starting to yell louder right along with the other boys.

"SHUT UP!" Kyrie yelled

Everyone paused to look at her for a moment then they were yelling back. "You're a girl! You can't talk like that!"

Kyrie stood up and walked over to the boy. His eyes went wide not used to this bold behavior in girls. The girls back home might have threatened but they hadn't been like this. He never found out what he would do because three older people walked into the door.

"What's going on?" Kyrie recognized the voice. She looked and sure enough it was the man who had called himself Treya the Crane. The two behind him she recognized as the people from that morning, Sarah and Naka.

The first words seemed to only be said to get their attention and once they had it Treya went on to another topic. "We will be going down to the valley. This is something we hardly ever do so make the most of it. This is Sarah and Irunaka they'll be helping to watch you. Do what they say."

"Naka. Call me Naka." Kyrie heard the the darkly tanned boy mutter.

Treya spared him a glance before turning back to the main group. "I want all of you to line up and then we'll go."

It took a little while but with a lot of complaining children and frustrated elders the line was made and they were off.

Treya led the way. He first went down a ladder to a second level. He waited at the bottom to catch or help anyone on their way down. One or two slipped but most went too slow to mess up. He didn't bother to take so much care when Naka and Sarah came down. Treya descended the second ladder and let half of the little ones come before he told Sarah to make her way.

When Kyrie came down she didn't feel scared at all. The boy who had gone before stepped off the ladder became harder to go down; it no longer taught. The boy looked up as she looked down. His face spasmed or twitched, or what have you, and as he stepped away from the ladder, he gave it a shove. Before Treya could catch the ladder and hold it away from the stone wall (one of the little ones had been tugging his breeches mumbling something incoherent), Kyrie was sent into the wall. Her head hit the stone where her forehead would have met her hairline.

Treya had the rope by then. Naka had stopped sending children down as Kyrie held still on the ladder. She spared only one hand to hold her cracked head together from the pain. The pain ebbed and for some reason she felt it was okay to pull her hand away and touch the stone. It was smooth with all the hands thats had brushed it, whether on purpose or on accident.

Treya's voice came through her thoughts and pain. "Come on down, now."

She obeyed. Her head began to throb as she came to those last few rungs. Treya lifted her away with hands under each armpit. "Sarah, take a look at her."

Sarah's hair was pulled away from her face and held in a tight bun by now. "You are the cute little girl from this morning."

"I remember you."

She smiled and nodded. "Now lets see." Kyrie winced when Sarah brushed her head. "You'll have an ugly little bump but you'll be okay."

_But it hurts_, she wanted to say but remembering the hollow comforting she had received yesterday she held it back.

They made it down a small path to the green valley. In that space of time both Jared and Elena had gotten a poke to the bump on her head. Each asking, "Does it hurt?"

To which Kyrie would grumble, "_Yes_."

The grass in the valley was cool and moist. The shade from the curve of the mountain it resided in kept it that way and with the help of the stream it wouldn't be dried by the sun. With shrieks of joy, children ran away off the path immediately coming up with games. Most of which included running. Treya sat under the lone tree that took residence in their valley. It was, luckily, large enough to give him adequate shade.

Over the years of flowing, the stream had cut a bit of a ditch around itself. Two boys tried to go down to get a closer look at the water with their bums against the dirt as they scuttled their way down. One went a little ways and turned back deciding it wasn't worth it. The other might have gone farther if his friend had not left so soon. He, too, turned back.

Kyrie looked down that ditch. It didn't look _that_ steep.

"You gonna go down or what?" That from Jared. Kyrie shook her head.

Instead she led the way following the path of the stream to where it pooled. The water swirled slowly in the small pool before leaving and continuing the line until it left the valley.

Kyrie heard Elena say "Hey!" right before her face was leading the way into the water. And as it had always done, her body followed.

In her surprise she let the water into her mouth and nose. By chance there was some thick grassy stalk near her hand. Her fingers convulsed around it and she pulled herself up coughing and sputtering. She sneezed and her face went back in the water. Her hands slipped off the stalk and she sank down. She tried to reach the stalk again but her fingers slipped again and her face was starting to sink below the surface because the rocks were slick under her feet.

And just as suddenly as she had been dunked into the pool she was pulled out. The person took her and held her belly-down to beat on her back. Kyrie coughed the water out.

She knew who had her when Sarah yelled, "Naka, will you stop those two?"

"It's practice for 'em!" He called back.

Sarah paused and Kyrie looked up to see one boy on top of another. There was a lot of squirming, grunting, and cries of pain.

"Treya is swamped. You stop them."

Sarah adjusted her hold and Kyrie's feet swung to the ground. Sarah's breeches were wet to the knee.

Standing, Kyrie watched as Sarah and Naka pule the two boys apart. Someone took her hand and tugged. It was Elena. "You okay?"

Kyrie nodded. "Who's that?" It was hard to tell who was who when she couldn't see their faces and they didn't have hair to distinguish them. She wanted to be angry at being pushed into the pool but there was so much going on and she couldn't find someone to be angry with.

"Jared and the boy who pushed you." Elena answered.

"Why is he on him like that?" Which wasn't entirely accurate since Sarah and Naka had finally pulled them apart.

"When he pushed you in, Jared jumped on 'im an' I ran to get her." She pointed to Sarah.

Sarah was talking to Jared sternly but looking at his face it didn't seem like he was going to absorb any of it. Jared's eyes roamed until he found Kyrie standing there dripping wet. His attention on Sarah was nonexistent now as he smiled. Sarah seemed to know this and gave up with a sigh.

Jared came over to them. "You okay?"

Kyrie nodded, her anger forgotten. She was wet and under the shade of the side of the mountain was starting to feel cold. One of Jared's eyes was starting to darken and he was covered in a fine layer of dirt from the ground he'd been rolling on. Kyrie smiled. It had been a very long while since someone had cared enough to get bruised for her.

The thought was washed away when she realized the river continued over the edge becoming a thin waterfall. But down to where? She grinned and followed along the bank. Elena and Jared followed.

It took a while because of the size of the valley but eventually, with a lot of walking breaks, they reached the end of it. Perhaps someone had made a mistake before which had caused the addition, but there was a gate made of sturdy wood which kept them from going over the edge. If they were to go over the edge they would have rolled down some jagged rocks and into another flat plane on the mountain.

Kyrie held onto the gate and looked down. There were horses down there. She spotted a few white ones in the bunch. One of those had to be Rayto. The levels continued down, each with a gate to keep someone from falling, if not to their doom, then to the painful weeks of existence. The last level was actually the valley between this mountain and the next one over. The true valley not the smaller, false one they had here.

The huge mountains around them kept all of this hidden? It was amazing.

"Wow." Elena said.

"Can we go now?" Jared asked.

Kyrie turned her head back to see him. He was standing away from the gate. He had gotten only so close because they had. "What do you want to do?"

He shrugged.

Kyrie ended up just laying in the sun.

"What are you doing now?" Jared asked. His tone was annoyed but he sat down all the same.

"Drying. I'm wet."

"Okay." He grumbled.

"You can go with the other boys if you want to. We don' care." Elena said with a small sniff.

"Shut up." He growled.

Kyrie closed her eyes. The warmth of the sun was nice against the coolness the wet clothes had made of her skin. It was almost like being back in her home town with Elena and Jared arguing. The front of her shirt had dried a bit and become damp when something slopped onto her chest. Some of it splashed onto her face. She opened her eyes. Some of it had also splashed onto Elena and Jared.

She put her hand onto her chest to find a mushy brown goop there. She smeared it off her chest into her hand and sat up. There was a boy with brown muck on his hand standing across from them. He must have gotten it from

Her hand closed and the brown muck she had taken off her shirt oozed out between her fingers. Her bottom lip trembled and her hand shook with anger. Why was he doing this?

Jared was already running at him. He pushed him. "What do you want?"

The boy stumbled back. Kyrie stood up and walked over. She walked up to him slowly. "What's your name?"

"Alander." He said.

"Alander." She repeated as she wiped her hand over his face putting the mud on his face. "Leave me alone."

She wanted to hit him, beat him. Something. But this was as much as she could bring herself to do. Alander let out an angry inarticulate sound and jumped at her. Kyrie let out a yelp. He ended up squeezing one of her ears in his hand along with the skin on her collar bone. She had only taken hold of both his shoulders. Kyrie did the best she could and dug her fingers and nails there trying to hurt him as best she could.

With a hold on his shirt, Jared was shaking him, trying to get him off of her. Elena had grabbed both of his ears, she pulled. He let out a cry. He looked down at her, brown eyes ablaze and she couldn't tell why.

"Oh, that is it!" Naka yelled surprising them all. His breath came a little harder as if he had run from where the others were. "This is the second time. Enough. Let's go."

He reached darkly tanned arms into their pile and pulled out Kyrie. "You seem to be at the center of it all. Literally. All of you. Up. Lets go!"

The stood immediately, not that Kyrie had to. He carried her the whole way and the others followed. "I didn't do _anything_." Kyrie mumbled, scared to say it too loud because Naka might yell like others have done before.

"Uh-huh." Naka said hearing her anyways. "We've all used that excuse."

_Its not an excuse. Its the truth. _She thought rebelliously but said nothing aloud.

Naka dropped her off by Treya giving him a short explanation as to what they were doing. Treya had been flipping some of the children over his hip and shoulder making them squeal with laughter. When Kyrie was dropped on her bum by the tree the Crane had taken up temporary residence he shooed all of them off. They complained and continued to beg him to throw them just once more. He smiled and shook his head. It took them a while to give up hope that he would continue but slowly they left.

Kyrie waited. She stayed still hoping he would forget she was there at all and maybe, just maybe, she could get away. The deities didn't seem to be listening to her today because Treya turned almost disappointed eyes to her.

Kyrie had been put there but the three who had walked stood a bit away. She pulled her legs up to her chest and pressed her mouth against her knees, taking up as little space as possible.

Treya sat down next to her and sighed. "Come here, all of you."

Elena and Jared took seats closer to her while Alander sat away.

"Alright, I'm seeing animosity here already." Treya said slowly. "Now, tell me what this is about."

Elena, Jared and Alander all began talking at once. Kyrie winced at the sound of all their voices meshing together. Treya grimaced. He put up his hands stopping them effectively enough. "Okay, okay, one at a time. We'll start with you."

He pointed to Kyrie. She blinked at the finger pointing in her direction. "Nothing." She said. "Nothin' happened."

Treya pressed his lips together.

"Thas not true!" Elena shouted. Jared hit the back of her head whispering harshly something that sounded like, "_Shut up_!"

"Hey, we'll won't have that. Any fighting is to be under control in training. That is all." His voice was becoming less soft and progressively stern. "Now, who's going to tell me what happened?"

Anger stuck in Kyrie's throat and burned but she kept shut. Nobody liked a tattler. Her hands clenched against her damp breeches. It seemed everyone had taken their lead from her, even Alander, and nobody was speaking.

"I've been told what happened. I want to hear it from your mouths." The Crane said. Still none of them said anything. "Fine. It's past noon anyways."

He stood and shouted to the valley. "Alright! Everyone up and out! Time to go!"

Sarah and Naka gathered everyone up. It took a long time because there were only two of them and twelve children. The sun was starting to leave the noon time mark high over head when everyone was in a group and counted.

A timid little boy came up to Kyrie and tugged her sleeve lightly. "Why didn' ya tell him? He's a nice man."

"I don't know."

Treya took them back out of the valley. When they asked, again and again, if they would be able to go back he gave a small shake of the head and would say, "Only if you're good and very lucky."

Treya brought them to the room where they ate and fed them again before giving them a tour. By the end of it Kyrie was overwhelmed but ultimately remembered none of it. She hoped she would get another chance to look at it all but as it was she was tired. Not as tired as she had been the day before because she remembered to eat but when she reached the rooms with the many mats she was ready for it.

She just wasn't ready for the dreams she would have.

* * *

A/N: You would not believe how hard I worked to have this finished before the new year. In fact I finished exactly ten minutes before midnight (where I live anyways). If it says I posted this chapter in 2007 though...at least I'll know I finished it before right?

Please REVIEW!! Thank you! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


	4. Training

A/N: I am a failure. I've been so caught up with writing my other independent stories that I haven't been much in the right sort of mood for writing this one. I'm sorry. Really and truly. Time slips away so easily.

BUT. School's out. Yippee! I'm out today so I celebrated.

Don't give up on me yet.

**Training**

Kyrie's eyes burst open and she immediately closed her mouth. Her heart beat hard and fast in her chest. It was almost painful. Her head pounded and her throat throbbed. Had she been screaming?

A few other whines could be heard from other children. Kyrie rolled over a put her head on her arm. She stayed like that for long moments but nobody came in to tell her to hush or quiet.

Tentatively she laid her head down on her arms. She tried closing her eyes but found that her heart beat much too fast to allow sleep. Her body felt leaden and her eyes dropped. She tried to let them fall, let the sleep wash over her but just as it happened her body was rigid and awake again.

Rays from a still hidden sun made the sky gray when she thought maybe sleep would finally come. Just as her eyes closed and her muscles relaxed themselves the same man from the day before shouted in their communal room, "Up! Time to get up!"

Kyrie's body stiffened and shot away from sleep forcefully. Elena and Jared were on either side of her. Kyrie sat up and Elena came up after her. Jared cracked opened his eyes the smallest possible fraction before shutting them closed again.

Kyrie's mind was pulled to a conversation outside of the room where the man who had woken them up went back out. She listened to it involuntarily as Elena started to poke Jared.

"--in here. You will be responsible for them. You will help them get from station to station. You will teach them the how-to and the where. You will teach them the basics of living in the Den. If you fail at any of these duties, privileges will be taken."

There was a pause. Someone must have said something because muffled laughter followed.

"Believe me, Arik, you'll see how much we can take from you."

The large door was already open which made the conversation easy to hear. It became even easier to hear when they came through the doorway.

"You guys are good, but I still don't think there's anything you can take away."

"Why did they let you do this?" Frustration had found its way into his voice.

Arik took on a pompous, deserving tone. "Because I'm old enough and I want to."

The Shang man shook his head but didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he turned to the room with more of the older students still pouring in the room.

"Here they are. It's time to get one of your very own."

Hesitantly at first, the older students walked up to the new ones. Arik was the only one who didn't seem at all nervous, not even at the beginning like the rest. It took the others a little time to get used to the idea of what they were doing but Arik took right to it. He even went up to a few and looked at their faces up close.

Kyrie didn't notice herself watching Arik so closely so she missed when others came to look at her. When she did notice the others she was reminded of a box of puppies she'd seen once. A man in her village was giving his pups away so he put them in a box which he set up at the corner of the biggest road they had. At that time Kyrie's mother had worked at a small shop near there so Kyrie watched him try to give away those animals.

People came and looked scrupulously at the specimens. Sometimes they picked them up and turned them over many times before deciding. She hadn't understood then how they chose between them. She had only known they were cute and she wanted one.

Now, she still didn't understand the why of the chooser's decision but she had a better idea of how the puppy felt.

An older girl with dark hair pulled back into a severe horse-tail behind her head came up to Elena. Kyrie noticed the girl had a blunt nose and dark eyes. Nothing about her face was inviting. She asked Elena simple questions which Elena answered nervously. What is your name? How old are you? Somewhere in those simple words passed which between them the older girl introduced herself as Mathia. Mathia finally smiled and just like that, it seemed Elena had been found by her sponsor.

Kyrie looked around the room. It seemed like everyone was getting someone. Her bottom lip trembled. Why was she alone?

She was shaken from the compulsion to cry, though she would have fought the tears, by a loud voice to her right. "This one's still asleep, Byron!"

He was talking about Jared, of course.

"Wake 'im up then." Byron yelled back across the room. He was standing at the front of the room and hadn't moved an inch.

Someone else called from across the room. "Oh! I call the sleeping one!"

Arik shrugged and stepped over Jared. For a moment Kyrie thought he would walk past her. When he bent over her she trembled. He thrust his hand out and she flinched. When she reopened her eyes his hand was out in front of her, palm up. She looked at it and then at his face.

His hair was a dark brown color which went nicely with his tan. Kyrie looked at his eyes.. Kyrie's mother had let her hold a brand new copper piece they had acquired once. She remembered knowing it was different thand all the other copper pieces she was used to which had become dark and brownish. She looked at Arik's eyes and was reminded of that brand-new, shiny copper piece.

Arik's straight brows came together ad he took his hand back. He had an odd look on his face. He stood and called to Byron, "I want this one."

"Any particular reason?" Byron drawled.

A smile came over him as he said one word. "Project."

Kyrie didn't know what he meant by that but she sensed some seriousness about him. It made her a little afraid.

The moment was ruined when Jared's sponsor spoke up. "It's about time you made your choice. Besides she's the only one left."

"Hey--!" Arik began. At the same time Jared's sponsor was saying something back and him and then the whole room was laughing.

Kyrie did no know whether to laugh and join the noise or shy away from it. Sitting there in the noise a sudden thought came to her. Her hand went to the top of her head. Her head was rough but the hair wasn't long enough to feel quite like hair yet. Her whole body and mind jerked from what it was doing and thinking when Arik pulled Kyrie to her feet. "Come on. Time to go. I'm Arik, I'll be helping you around here. You?"

"Kyrie." She could answer that easily. She knew her name. What she didn't want was for him to ask other questions. The ones she didn't know how to answer.

"Okay, Kyrie." He stopped looked around. Kyrie mimicked him, looking around and noticing that everyone was with their sponsor just like she was. "Kyrie, Kyrie, Kyrie, Kyrie…"

She jumped at the sound of her own name. She hadn't expected to hear her own name so many times. Arik seemed to like to hear his own voice because he never stopped talking. Even when there was nothing that really needed to be said he was saying one thing or other. What they were doing, where they were going, what color the sky was. He even told her things she didn't understand.

Kyrie didn't understand the point of it but as long as he didn't want her to talk all the time she didn't mind.

"First we go to stretches. You don't have to go later but until you get in the habit of it. That's what they say anyways."

Kyrie couldn't catch all the words but she just followed him to wherever it was he was going. She didn't question but she wondered often enough.

He laughed, suddenly and shortly. "No, first we have food. Then stretches."

Everyone was still walking in a group but it was much larger than yesterday because of the sponsors. Some seemed happy to have a person of their own others, like Kyrie, timid and not knowing what to expect.

Kyrie didn't recognize where they were going and obediently followed. They had already passed where they ate the day before. They couldn't be going the wrong way unless all of them had decided to take the wrong route. So where were they going?

They traveled down the complex walkways and stairs, the older ones with the ease of someone in their own home and the younger ones managing only because they now had someone to lead them. Eventually they made it to a large eating area. It technically had three different rooms each connected by hallways but it was all one large eating area.

"This," Arik began grandly, "is the Lodge. Every meal is eaten here."

He handed her a crude plate from a stack of identical ones and ushered her towards a bar piled with food.

"Eat a lot or you won't last till lunch." Kyrie didn't say a word as Erik piled food onto his own plate putting the exact same thing on hers. Kyrie followed him through the loud communal room. He eventually found a seat with some friends and allowed her the table near theirs. Others came and sat in the area. Kyrie, already eating happily, didn't notice when Jared sat across from her.

She looked up for a moment, smiled, and then continued her attack on the food in front of her. Elena didn't come but only because her sponsor had decided to sit elsewhere and from there she hadn't been able to find her two friends.

Meal time passed by quickly and then they were all being dragged in different directions, somehow going the same way and yet not meeting up.

Arik brought her to a room with simple bamboo mats taking up the surface of the floor. There wasn't much else in the expansive room but all the same there was something unpleasant about it.

All of the younger one lined up across the wall. They were counted. Kyrie didn't mind this so much. Here it seemed more like she was part of the group, not so singled out. They were told to spread out. Everyone obeyed but not without grumbles and squabbles coming out.

Someone came to stand in the center of the room. Within moments the man, with the help of the sponsors, had everyone running. From one side of the room to where he stood, each child raced back and forth until, finally, the command came to stop.

"Wow." A skinny child next to Kyrie huffed.

Running wasn't so bad. She'd run before when she had been back home. Ran from stray dogs, ran from angry shop owners, ran from large men...

All in all, running wasn't so bad.

The stretching. That was bad.

They had them standing at first. She reached down to her toes and when it wasn't far enough, Arik pushed on her back to make her just a little bit further. It was just enough to make it uncomfortable. Others tried to pull away from their sponsors but Kyrie bit her lip, frowned and dealt with the extra stretching her muscles were forced to do. There were so many different positions that stretched different parts of her body. They had to bend over backwards, Arik held up her back, to stretch their bellies. They sat on the ground arranging their legs in different ways, pulling on different parts of the large limb. When she wasn't reaching far enough or close enough Arik would push or pull, depending on what was required, and she would deal with the amplified discomfort.

When she stood, she felt better than when she had been running. Loose was a good word. She shook one arm then a leg.

But she was horrified to learn that this wasn't all her day would consist of.

There was more running, but not the easy back and forth kind. There were obstacles now. Instructions were given and Kyrie didn't quite understand until someone demonstrated. There were sticks standing from the ground equally distant. After that there was a tunnel and then they came back to line.

The first one through messed up so many times, he started crying before he had reached the tunnel.

The second made mistakes weaving through the poles then tried to simply leave the tunnel be. His sponsor wasn't having that though.

On and on it went.

Kyrie came closer to the front of her line with growing apprehension. What if she messed up so greatly that she was nothing more than a failure? Her turn came eventually and she started forward. She weaved back and forth with a sort of sideways hopping motion. Once her shoulder hit the pole. It stung but she continued to the end. When it came to the tunnel she crawled through. How many times had she crawled so that she could continue moving but not be seen? Enough to know the pain in her knees would go away soon.

Then it was over and she came back to the line.

She did it two more times. The pole whipped her three times more and her knees were burning and stinging alternately with how fast she had tried to do it but at last they were lead to relief. Water.

Kyrie didn't realize how thirsty she was until she had already taken three ladle fulls of it. Even then, her stomach told her to stop but her throat still felt too dry. She drank two more ladles and then knew she could hold no more.

As she followed the group back, her stomach sloshed. It didn't feel good.

Jared came up to her and patted her on the back which did little for her waterlogged belly. She looked at him slowly, sickly. His face was wet and his lips were red as if he'd been licking them too much. Kyrie didn't bother trying to smile.

"Are we done?" She asked, hand on her belly hoping that would stop the sloshing.

He shrugged. "Look." He lifted up his shirt and across his side there was a line of redness. "I ran into the stick-things. Two times."

It was enough to make her laugh.

She frowned when they came back because they were giving more instructions.

This time around she couldn't tell if she was nervous or if the sick feeling in her stomach was rising.

There, in front of them, was a peak. They were going to run up it and somehow scramble down. And if that weren't enough to make her want to groan, there were small slabs of would they had to jump over before having to run between two points. Back and forth, back and forth, twice.

Waiting for her turn, Kyrie thought her stomach might have settled enough. One time through the course proved her wrong. She had managed to make it to the end, though the jumping had almost done her in, and when it came to the running she had to stop. She held her stomach but that did absolutely nothing to keep its contents inside. Most of it was water, but it tasted wrong coming up instead of going down. Sour and warmer than it had been before.

"Who's her sponsor?"

"I am." Arik piped in immediately.

"She won't be continuing today," The large man said. Kyrie looked up at him. It didn't help her throbbing head. "Next time watch her more closely. Too much water isn't good."

_Too much water isn't good._ Kyrie repeated in her head. _Too much water isn't good. Too much water isn't good..._ as Arik led her away.

The first day of training had begun and she hadn't even lasted until the end.

* * *

A/N: Whew. Well, it's not long. That's for sure. But there it is.

Um, I have just come to realize I'm not a very good writer. No, that's a lie, I knew that already but I'm going to say it again to set up for what I'm about to say now. I won't be able (due to my lack of writing and/or imaginative abilities if you weren't going to catch that) to writer her life day by day, and in some points week by week. I may skim over time. I hope you'll forgive me but training is often very much the same.

You know, the same basic thing done in mildly different ways. Endless drills.

I'll get to that though. Just giving you the heads up on how the rest of this will go because these chapters so far have happened in like, what, two-three days?

MMM... PLEASE (?) REVIEW!!!!! I'm begging here.


	5. Schedule

A/N: Yay! I have finished another chapter. And (for me anyways) its quite long as further apology. It has been exactly one week since my last confession—Oops! I mean since my last update. Yay again! This is usually my goal with updates.

Enjoy!

**Schedule**

"Are you okay?" Arik asked, somewhat frustrated it seemed. He raked his fingers through his hair several times with one long drawn out sigh.

Kyrie nodded. Arik flicked his copper-colored eyes at her.

"You've got to say _something_."

Kyrie coughed which only reminded her mouth of the sourness from before. "I don't feel so good."

Arik chewed the inside of his lip thoughtfully. He didn't miss her flinch when he moved closer to her but didn't know what to do about it. He put his hand between her shoulder blades and gently let her in a direction. "Let's get you some water and I'll figure out what we can do until the others are finished."

There were water barrels stationed all around. Arik went to the nearest one and pulled up one of the ladles. "Here wash out your mouth with this."

_Don't drink too much water_, was still replaying in her head. She washed out her mouth gratefully and sipped another one.

"Is there anything you want to do?" Arik asked her. Kyrie thought but before she could form words he was already talking again. "No, I guess not. Hm."

He hit his fist against his hand with a triumphant smile. "I've got it."

"Can I see my horse?" Kyrie spoke up.

He stopped not only at the sound of her voice but at the fact that she had spoken without any prodding...sort of. "You don't have a horse." He sounded sure of that.

"Yes I do."

"No, sweetie, you don't."

Her lip trembled and tears welled to her eyes. "I do _too_."

Arik's eyes widened. "Er, yes but we can't go see the horses today. We don't have that much time but I'll take you later." He tried to put as much sincerity in his voice to stop the tears. Once they started, they didn't usually stop for some time.

"When?" She swiped at the moistness in her eyes.

"Er, soon. Besides we only have like," He looked up at the sky. Kyrie looked up too but couldn't find any difference in the hard blue sky. "an hour before everyone else is done so lets go."

"To see my horse?"

"No," He looked at her, making sure she wasn't going to start crying again. "I told you, I'll take you later. But right now I'll show you something else."

She nodded again, frowning but willing to go along if only because...what else could she do?

"Come on, come on, come on!" Arik urged her forward. He wasn't running but he was walking fast enough that she was forced to trot forward every third step or so. Energy literally seemed to vibrate off of Arik.

It took some maneuvering but they made it to...a wall of rock. The entire Shang training facility was built off of the mountains and here was where it met those mountains. Arik pushed her towards the stone wall expectantly. But what was she supposed to do? Kyrie looked up at it, it all looked much the same to her.

"Look." He pointed out to her, "there are places where you can grab and put your feet, too."

She watched his hand sink into a deep dent in the wall. Now that she knew what to look for it seemed like the handles she was supposed to use appeared before her. Kyrie put her hand in and pulled herself up. The wall here was smooth just like other parts she had found.

"There you go!" Arik cheered as Kyrie put her foot in another wide hole. When she was far enough up, Arik climbed up after. She came up to the end and didn't know where to go. Arik sensed this when she stopped. "Just keep stepping up with your feet, use your hands for balance and step over."

Kyrie did what he said. There were no more holes for her hands but she stepped up and up keeping her balance with her hands at the top. She was bent over when her feet made it to the last hold. She stepped over slowly, carefully because she was fully aware that if she slipped now she would fall down the whole way. She made it though, she was standing unsure for a few moments before Arik was over the top. He came up much more gracefully than she had though working with muscles it would take years to acquire.

"Alright, here we go!" Arik looked around for a moment before deciding which way they were going even though only one trail looked usable. Thankfully, that was the one they took.

There was a lot of climbing around small obstacles and slipping. And yet here, too, the rock was more smooth than the trail up here. Her feet hurt because she had no shoes, but nothing ever cut her. Finally, there was something like a ledge where they stopped. Arik took a seat with a sigh. Kyrie waited, not sure what to do.

He looked back at her then patted the space next to him. "You can't see them from there."

Kyrie took tentative steps closer to the edge where he was and sat down. It wasn't an immediate drop but it was far enough that she didn't want to get any closer. After her initial hesitant reaction, Kyrie noticed there was something in the clearing below them.

At first, she thought there was a cloud of some kind of bug. Gnats maybe. She continued to stare, at first wondering why Arik had brought her here to watch bugs, but then she noticed that they moved together. One side, the other side, up down and then they split apart, swirled and reunited. Those could _not_ be simple gnats or flies.

"They look better at night." Arik said, not half as transfixed as Kyrie was. In fact, he was feeling around on the ground for something. He stretched back and gave a happy _aha!_ and came back with some stones in hand. "Watch this."

He brought the entire fistful back and threw them all at once below them. They all went at different speeds and heights and when they finally reached the cloud it caused an interesting reaction. Each of the particles dispersed into different directions. Sparks flew and each of the sparks were different colors. The cloud came together again and rose angrily, Kyrie thought it looked distinctly agitated anyways. The sparks were still going. All of the tiny little particles moved together rising and rising and twisting. They continued to sway and thrum as one but they had visibly calmed until Arik threw a few more stones.

"How do you like it here so far?" He asked suddenly. The cloud rose again throwing off blue sparks.

Kyrie shrugged.

"Hey now, remember what I said about you having to talk."

"It's okay here." Kyrie answered meekly. She hadn't spent_ that _much time here and what she had met up with only served to further confuse her. She still didn't quite understand why she was here at all. Except that Narim had sent her here.

"Hm." He scratched at his head. "You'll have a more definite opinion by the time you leave, whether that be sooner or later."

Kyrie didn't know what to say to that so she didn't say anything at all. It was one of the few times Arik didn't demand an answer.

The sun was high overhead before they left. Arik carried her on his back on the way down, though. She hadn't needed his warning words telling her to hold on tight, there was no way she would let go.

Relief awaited her when they regrouped. Kyrie was happy to learn they would be resting. She immediately found her mat to sleep. Jared was already at the one next to hers, fast asleep. His cheeks were flushed and even sleeping he looked tired.

Elena touched Kyrie's elbow letting her know she was there. Kyrie looked into Elena's dark blue eyes and was glad she had gotten to leave early. Elena didn't complain but Kyrie could see something she couldn't name yet. This day had almost been too much for her. Kyrie felt relieved, sure, but then she still hadn't lasted or dealt with it like the others.

But she was no less tired because when she finally rested her head against her arm on the mat, she fell asleep.

Shaking. Someone was shaking her. Tiredly she was dragged out from sleep. Kyrie opened her eyes to find Arik there.

"Hello, hello!" His cheerfulness mocked her. Other sponsors were doing much the same. Mathia didn't have trouble rousing Elena, the sound of everyone else had done the job. And on the other side of the spectrum there was Jared,who couldn't be stirred.

"Will you just pick him up or something, Samyel?" Arik forcefully suggested, punctuated by a shove.

"Shut up, Arik!" The youth said, his dark sloppy curls whipped around as he looked sharply at Arik. He ended up doing what the other Shang-in-training suggested however.

"Well, then, see if I help you with anything. _Ever._" He sniffed in return, smirking when Samyel used his advice. "Alright Kyrie it's time for you to follow _me _around."

For a moment, she thought it was a knew day but when the door to the room opened it was still an afternoon sun that shone over them. Her muscles still felt a hair past over used for the rest of the day but she stood and did as she was told.

Arik made it seem like she would be doing something different but it felt the same. At first. Arik led her down a few levels.

Kyrie trailed behind him where ever he went. She noticed others were walking around on this lower level. People of all ages. Some maybe a year or two older than herself all the way to Arik's age or maybe a few years older. Hair lengths varied, she noticed. Many looked at her briefly or stared. Other kids who were not so much older than herself still had to follow an older Shang-in-training.

Arik, true to form, had something to say to at least every other person. Everyone he talked to in passing gave her a curious look.

"Hey! Amasse!" Arik greeted loudly. "Fine day today, huh?"

"Arik, what in the world is the matter with you?" Brown eyes found Kyrie who automatically tried to shy away. "You've got yourself a tadpole."

"Aye, that I have!" Arik laughed and it was like the rest of him, boisterous.

Amasse laughed too though he seemed a little more reserved. He walked away with the parting line, "Don't be late."

"What would our instructors do if I was on time?" He yelled.

"Probably die from disbelief." Another person came up to him.

"Sarah." Arik acknowledged appreciatively.

"Oh, please," She scoffed with a noticeable eye roll. She grinned down at Kyrie. "The only reason I'm anywhere near you is because of this little sweet thing. Hi."

"Hello," Kyrie whispered.

She turned back to Arik. "If you do anything to her it'll be me you face in the sparring ring."

"I might like that more than you're betting." He looked her up and down in an exaggerated manner. She made a disgusted face. She passed them waving solely to Kyrie.

"Ahh!" Arik shouted upward to nothing in particular. He grinned widely down at Kyrie before sweeping her up by her shoulders. "you are my key! Why didn't you tell me she liked you? _Oh_, this has so much more potential than I first thought!"

Kyrie stared wide-eyed into his jubilant face, terrified.

Arik didn't seem to notice as he steered her into a classroom. Their progress was stopped by a drawling voice. "So nice of you to join us today, Arik."

"Of course Eda, would I miss one of your lessons?"

"As I recall, you have. Which had you scrubbing pots for three weeks."

Arik flapped his hand as if it was nothing. "That's all in the past now, I've got to look out for a little one now."

"My, my," She said, her pale eyes shifting to Kyrie. "Emmett has gone mad to let you sponsor one of the young ones. Bring her here."

Arik nudged Kyrie forward. Kyrie looked at the woman's gray, tight curls, weathered face and intelligent eyes. She wanted to tremble under the older woman's straightforward gaze.

"Hm." Was all she said for a long moment. Then, "Goddess watch over you, especially while you are under this one's tutelage."

"Hey!"

"Take your position, Arik."

There were a pitiful amount of people to even be able to call it a class, but there it was. Five older boys, including Arik, stood in a line while three younger ones, Kyrie as one of them, stood to the side and observed.

"Into stance!" Eda didn't shout, she said it firmly but it might have very well been a shout for the reaction she got. Everyone jerked into a specific stance.

Kyrie watched, fascinated. They moved so swiftly when she gave them directions, even Arik. She walked up and down their line, slapping bellies and fixing positioning.

"You aren't going to hit anything important at all if you don't kick _higher_, Tarrel!" Eda stood in front of a dark skinned youth. "Kick."

He hesitated.

"Go on."

He did as he was told. Eda, faster than anything Kyrie had ever seen, grabbed his ankle. "Look where you are on me. My chest. That might work if you had enough power to break it. But, it would be better if you hit the head," She lifted his foot higher bringing forth uncomfortable sounds from him as he fought for balance on one foot, "the head is always a good target when you can manage it. If not, go lower," she lowered his foot to below her ribcage. "hit them here to knock the air out. It would be fine in a fight, but it's not what we're working on."

His foot dropped to the ground with a loud _thump_.

"Switch feet."

They did several more kicking exercises for each leg until they were sweating and breathless which felt like forever. Eda gave the permission for water which left only her and the three young ones in the room.

With nothing to distract her now, Kyrie looked to her left where two boys were. Neither of them were in the group she came in. First off, they both had hair, one black one brown. Secondly, they looked a little older than she.

The boy with the brown hair was nearer to her. His hair was a nondescript brown that was only about a half inch long. His face was still round and when he glanced at her she caught the color of his eyes even if she wasn't at all successful at catching his attention. His eyes were the most brilliant shade of blue-green. After seeing her looking at him he scooted just a bit farther away as if it did any good at all.

Kyrie didn't take notice, however, she slid her eyes past him and to the other boy. His hair was even longer than the first boy's but only by an inch or so. Maybe. It was curly enough that she couldn't really tell. His hair was black but different than hers had been. Hers had owned some shine but his was a shadowy black. The look he held made him seem standoffish. His features were sharp for a child. There wasn't so much roundness to his cheeks and he had pointed nose and chin. There was still a certain kind of _softness _to his face but it was apparent that it wasn't permanent.

Feeling eyes upon him he, like the first boy, looked. His eyes were a hard brown that reminded her of bark on a tree. He glared at her, black brows drawing down. The vehemence in the look chased Kyrie's eyes away.

Arik was forced to face off against a dummy along with everyone else, practicing different moves to Eda's liking. It was hard to believe not _so_ much time had passed and they still had more places to go. Arik seemed tired but not near enough to stop his continuous chattering.

"The Armory." Arik pointed out to Kyrie. "Our next stop for weapons study."

Weapons study consisted of an old Shang, so old in fact that his skin looked to think and wrinkly, presenting different weapons to the students. Asking what it was, how it was used, what special uses it had that made it different from other weapons of its kind. In some cases, like bows, questions were asked about what kind of wood was best to make it, how long its range was... the questions went on and on. Here, too, there were younger children that followed their older sponsors.

Arik was the least afraid to answer.

"That would be a long bow--"

"No," The old Shang said sharply and a little too quickly as if he'd already known Arik would be wrong. "Its a crossbow. Only a numskull would think anything else."

"Of course." Arik muttered. It didn't deter him from further wrong answers though because for everyone he got right there were more he was willing to get wrong. As they left, he was talking to Kyrie, "Never be afraid to be wrong, Kyrie, how else will you know what's right? Same goes for questions. Ask questions until you understand."

"Why?"

"Don't start with me though." He said as soon as the question left her mouth. "Ask questions and get things wrong so that when it's your time to leave you'll know everything."

It seemed to be something he lived by because whether he was supposed to be practicing his punches or reading aloud, he was asking something. Now is my fist supposed to be like this when I punch out and up? How do you pronounce this word? Oh, so I wasn't supposed to actually hit him yet? Exactly how many days am I supposed to refill the water barrels? Is my tadpole allowed to help?

There were so many questions pouring out of him she thought she was probably learning more than the other children her age. Half the questions he proposed, she would never have even thought to ask.

There was a portion of time that was free. It was about three hours before dusk. Half that time belonged to each individual. It was also the time that punishments and specified chores were to be done.

Arik didn't waste time on his punishments. He talked while he worked saying that he always had one punishment or other so that it hardly seemed natural when he didn't have them. He emptied and refilled three of the water barrels, Kyrie forced to help, before their time ran out.

Arik was grinning again. Wasn't he _tired_? She certainly was and for half the day she'd only watched.

"This is the best part of the day." Arik announced. "Combat."

Arik helped her get down the ladder to the valley she'd been to the day before. Except now, in the flattest part of the valley, in the center, there were three rectangles set up and everyone was pooling into the valley. The oldest Shang-in-training were only about seventeen at the most but from there, the ages varied. The youngest and the newest were the most easily identified by how long their hair was, or lack thereof. Which was how Kyrie spotted Jared and Elena.

She smiled and waved to them. Elena waved back haggardly. Jared tried to run to her but was pulled back by Samyel's firm hold on his shirt.

"Oh, get ready for the excitement!" Arik was barely controlling his own.

There couldn't have been more than two hundred people there altogether. Most definitely less and yet it looked like a lot of people to Kyrie who'd only ever lived in a small village and had only been to a few larger towns once or twice.

"Hey!" The crowd fell silent under the bellow of a man standing in the center rectangle. He was wearing an undyed cotton shirt and breeches. "Combat was put on hold yesterday due to the new arrivals, today we begin again!" Cheering followed the statement and when it looked like the man wanted to continue they fell silent again. "I'll say the rules just so some of you," He scanned the crowd. "can't say you didn't know or forgot, if you do, get ready for punishment.

"We accept volunteers the first day. Clean slate today. Ten and older. Each match will be watched over by one of your instructors. Just because they teach you lazy bums reading doesn't mean they still can't kick you out of the ring with one hand tied behind their back, I'd be sure to remember that, one." Some laughs followed as if it was had sprouted from remembered truth. "If you don't go the first day, you'll have to go some day. If you try to avoid it, you're only hurting yourself. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself--"

"I thought you were telling us the rules, not giving a lecture!" Of course it would be Arik who dared to shout that out. It was followed by some laughs.

"Arik, if you had any patience at all you would see I'm getting to it." The man growled. Arik and Kyrie weren't too far from the front of the crowd. It seemed everyone knew who Arik was, even if they only had his voice to go on.

"As I was saying, this is one of the best things you can do to better yourself. Fight against your peers and learn your strengths and weaknesses. Fix them." He paused with a look in the general area that Arik was standing. "And now to the rules. One: a clean fight. Someone will be there to referee the fight, you stop when they tell you to stop." He punctuated that rule with a piercing look. He looked at one of them, all of them. "Two: no cheap shots. You're here to learn how to fight, not to kick someone in the groin and run away." Some laughs. "If that's the case, punishments. Three: the weights must be worn during combat. Four: You must use what weapons we provide you. Today there will be no weapons. It's hand to hand."

Some cheers rose in the crowd accompanied by a few groans.

"After your own bout, you are free to go to the baths though you'll have time to afterward." He announced. Then finally, "Let's begin."

The cheering rose.

The crowd split up between the three rectangles, choosing whichever one they preferred. Arik kept them stationed at the center one where the most stayed. It was where the man who'd been giving the instructions was also the referee.

"Who'll be the first ones?" He said with a grin.

Hands shot up into the air, some cried out, Arik joined in eagerly.

Two were chosen and the spar began. The first few took a while as they took some time to get warmed up to the idea but as time wore on the bouts either became quicker, more concise, or took longer between two good opponents. You could always tell who the younger pairings were because their fighting was not as neat and one was always better than the other.

Finally, Arik was picked on to try his hand in the fighting. He jumped over the railing excitedly calling behind him, "Amasse, watch Kyrie."

"I'll assume that's your name." Came a voice from above her. She looked up, it was the boy from earlier. "Here, you might want a better view. Arik will either be amazing or terrible. There's no in between with him."

Amasse took Kyrie from her armpits and hefted her to his shoulders. She clutched at his dark brown hair. She got over her shock and enjoyed the view. The man picked another person from the crowd, a girl.

She had short blond hair and that's about all she could tell from this distance. She was about the same height as Arik. Both were smirking.

The man stepped away from them. "Who's that?" Kyrie pointed.

"Hm? Oh, that's Emmett the Shang Tiger." Amasse answered. "The girl Arik is about to fight is Ir'la."

Emmett gave the signal for them to begin.

Ir'la and Arik circled each other, sizing each other up. Arik was still grinning even as he made the first strike. Ir'la blocked it easily, having to dodge the following blows in quick succession. She retaliated with a kick to his ribs. Arik stepped back. There was no gain or loss for moments as each side blocked and returned. It was beginning to last long enough that people in the crowd were starting to take bets, secretly of course as it was frowned upon by the instructors.

Kyrie watched, completely fascinated and unable to look away even as some of their movements became blurs. The crowd groaned and gasped in just the right moments.

Amasse snickered. "I think he's decided to be good today."

Ir'la misjudged a punch, putting too much power behind it. Her fist flew past Arik's cheek. He grabbed it and pulled to make her further loser her balance. His goal achieved, he swung around and pulled her up with a forearm across her neck. She grunted.

"Arik the spar is yours." The Tiger didn't look entirely thrilled. Though it did seem like he'd expected it even as he didn't want it to happen. "Let go now."

Ir'la didn't hold a grudge. Not too long after Arik let her go her disgruntled face fell to reveal a large white grin. She slapped him playfully as she returned to the side of the rectangle she'd come from. Arik searched the crowd as he walked back in the direction Kyrie and Amasse were.

The sparring continued but Arik pulled Kyrie away after Amasse safely returned her to the ground. He was looking for someone. He went to the other sparring rectangle where a skinny boy was holding his own against a taller one. Spotting who he had been looking for just as the bout ended, Arik propelled them forward, Kyrie fought to keep up between the people.

"Sarah!" He yelled. A head with a brown bun in the back whipped around.

"What?" Was the immediate, vicious answer.

"I need a favor."

She sighed. "What is it?"

He looked down at Kyrie then back up. "Can you take her to the baths? I really don't want to touch that problem."

Her gray eyes softened at the request. "Alright. We're almost done here anyways. You can leave her with me."

Arik bowed his head virtuously with grandeur. "You're amazing."

"Oh, will you just get out of here?"

Arik left with a laugh and a wave. Kyrie almost followed simply because she'd been doing it all day long. Sarah kept a firm hand on her shoulder though.

Just as Sarah said, Combat was declared over not too long later though some were already making their way to the opposite side of the valley. Not the side they'd come up. There was a bridge to cross the stream and a short ladder to get to wood planks that zig-zagged up the side of the mountain.

Kyrie followed doggedly, feeling now the effects of the day now more than before. It seemed that as the sun sank her bones and muscles remembered their weakness. Sarah had a hold of her hand, tugging her along securely as others came up the same way. The man made path stopped but the mountain jutted out just so that four or five people could walk abreast on it. Here, the majority of the group went to the right while Sarah took Kyrie to the left. They walked along a smaller path further into the mountain, it was as well used as everything else the Shang used here.

Sarah and Kyrie weren't the first to arrive at the cave. When they entered the air was moist and warm. Three girls were already laughing and the sound carried to Kyrie's ears before she saw anybody at all.

There was a pool set deeper into the cave. The three girls already there were older. Kyrie didn't recognize them but Sarah did. She waved before she stripped herself, and Kyrie too, and getting into the pool carefully. Mathia and Elena came not too long after.

As they chatted, Sarah washed herself. She washed Kyrie, too. First with a cloth and then with a rough stone in certain areas like her feet. She also used the stone to gently exfoliate her scalp. Mathia did much the same for Elena. Elena took it more comfortably than Kyrie did but neither of them fought. The hot water worked to make Kyrie's mind as lax as her body.

Sarah continued to rub gentle circles on Kyrie's back. Their voices were becoming softer with the passing time and they echoed off the walls in an oddly soothing way. Kyrie fought to keep her eyes open.

"Well, girls, I've got to get this one back before she falls asleep and drowns herself." Sarah said. Mathia agreed with her and they left the pool.

Towels were piled at the back in a drier area. Sarah helped Kyrie dress, the cooler air helped her wake up, after she had clothed herself.

They left the cave and came back to the main path. There was a good amount of people who opted to climb back down to the valley and run across so they could climb back up the other side but Sarah took Kyrie around, since their false valley was in the U of rocks. It wasn't so bad. It took a little longer, most ran it, but it was less trying than going up and down the valley sides.

Kyrie was nearly blind with sleep when she finally laid down on her mat.

Days continued much in that manner. Morning practice for the younger ones, a nap, then they trailed behind their sponsors going everywhere they went. There was always end of the day Combat unless, for some reason, they couldn't use the valley. But that happened only a few times.

Classes changed from day to day and soon that became a sort of schedule, too. Arik had to work on different parts of his body, legs, arms, sometimes altogether. Weapons study, Kyrie found out, few times ever did simple questioning as it was her first day. They used the weapons and for most of those lessons they went down to the valley. It became a regular thing, going up and down the ladder there more than once a day. They cared for horses sometimes but Kyrie couldn't get away at all so there was no searching for Rayto.

Under Arik's care Kyrie also endured cleaning the floors, feeding the horses when they required different kinds of food, cleaning dishes, refilling the water barrels along with various other odd jobs. There was a reason all of the instructors knew who Arik was. He was constantly doing _something_ so that he was always assigned punishment work. He'd said one day, without prodding, Arik hardly ever needed any, "I wouldn't know what to do with the free time if I wasn't doing extra work."

Surprisingly, some of the words that poured from his mouth were helpful explanations. Like telling her where he was grabbing on the bow, or making her look at the buckle he using to harness saddle. She couldn't remember everything exactly but she watched and helped when she was told to.

The nightmares were gone. Not gone as if they were healed but rather, her grueling hours left her too exhausted for dreams. Her sleep was thick, solid and when she woke up it was harder than if she'd been tossing and turning all night.

She was eased by routine, falling into it. Elena still seemed unhappy but she pulled through. Jared complained but did what he was told. In the change of daily schedules she sometimes had classes with each of them which always helped the time pass.

The first few days of training left her body almost too sore to move. Everybody was stiff. But still, they ran, their movements stinted, and stretched. Kyrie began to love and hate stretching. For a few moments of increased pain she could move her limbs with more ease. It was a wonder.

Being sore became something they came to know, it hurt but they worked through it because there was hardly a day when they weren't.

Soon, faster than Kyrie would have expected, the air grew cooler. Fall came and paved the way for winter. The sky, which was a hard clear blue most the time almost always had a thin layer of clouds now. Combat practice only stopped when the valley was full of more than two feet of snow, any less and their presence was mandatory.

Kyrie, along with the others, received slightly warmer clothing and old worn in jackets. They helped keep them a little warmer but it was only a small improvement. Whenever one of the them complained it was always the same answer, "It'll made you stronger."

Though, that seemed to be the answer for a lot of complaints.

Treya was always a presence. Keeping an eye on all of the young ones and not just the newcomers. He raised a brow at Arik and Kyrie's pairing but said nothing.

A/N: I changed my mind about just _skipping_ over things. The whole reason I wanted to write this was because I was tired of people writing one or two lines to sum up a Shang's training so wouldn't I just be a hypocrite? Yes. I am probably one quite often but luckily for me, and you I think, I caught myself on this one. Besides I'm much happier the way it's going now.

Tell me what you think though.

REVIEW!!


	6. Winter Comes

A/N: ...it's been sooooo long. I'm a bit ashamed.

Sorry.

Please read anyways!!

**Celebration Preparations**

Arik was humming despite the cold. The only thing Kyrie could do with her mouth was clack her teeth together and watch him with watery eyes, tearing from the cold air. Nothing seemed to be able to get through to him, not even the cold. Actually, today, he seemed even more... well, _excited_, than usual. He had stopped humming and was wearing a wide grin.

Kyrie wrapped her arms around herself. It was _cold_.

Suddenly, really with no warning at all, Arik picked Kyrie up and swung her around with a jubilant laugh that drowned out Kyries startled cry.

"Aren't you just so_ happy_?" He didn't hold back so it came out like a very loud, excited shout. It didn't seem like something to answer but Kyrie did.

"No." She grumbled.

He set her down. "Don't worry, you will be in a few days. Oh!"

The last part, it seemed, was something he just couldn't contain.

"Few days? Wuzzat mean?"

"It means," He rubbed her head now that it had centimeters of black hair on it, "that winter's come."

"That dun't mean nothin' at all." Kyrie rubbed at her nose to make sure it was still there and because it had started to run.

Arik frowned momentarily. "Did you ever celebrate anything where you lived before? When the snow came did anything interesting ever happen?"

Kyrie thought. She couldn't remember much. She remembered Narim. She remembered playing in the snow but they couldn't for long because it was much too cold and Narim would scold her for her wet clothes. "No."

Arik shrugged like it was a normal thing. "Well, we celebrate here and it's always fun."

"Celebrate _what_?" Kyrie said with the exasperation only a child can achieve.

"Midwinter!" He said that one word and he was back to vibrating with energy.

Midwinter. She had heard that before. _That_ made some sense, then. But in her small town people had only said it in passing. _Midwinter luck_. Was that a celebration? Would that be what they would do here too?

"Midwinter luck?" Kyrie inquired as they walked to weapons study.

Arik laughed. "We don't say that yet."

Then when, exactly, did one say it?

Sitting in the class, Kyrie thought about Midwinter and the snow and what did Arik mean by celebrating? She thought and thought until the instructor brought out a particularly interesting weapon that looked very much like a star but was made of metal and was sharp. The instructor was, as she eventually had learned, Elyrias the Shang Monkey. And he did seem rather tricky at times, just like a monkey.

No matter how mean he seemed to the others, though, he always had something to say to Kyrie. The Monkey had them in the valley the next day. It wasn't much warmer in the valley but there was even less wind; there wasn't much before but being in the valley, there was less. Their wasn't any snow today, a nice winter day as far as the winter in the mountains went, but the perspiration was frozen hard making the grass crunchy.

There were ten targets set fifty feet from where they were standing.

"This is just a warm up!" Surprisingly, the old man's voice carried. "If you can't hit those targets, you must be blind. Get to it!"

Thunks sounded as most hit the targets but whenever one of them didn't, Elyrias had something to say.

"How can you not see that? Do you miss when putting food in your mouth, too? You're pulling back too far!" He puckered his lips before coming up with something. "I bet you all something."

The older boys stopped to look at him.

"I bet I can get one of the younger ones to hit that target right there before three of you get ten in a row."

Murmurs followed the proposition. Then one of them spoke up.

"How is that fair? Three of us have to get ten and one of the little ones only has to get one?"

"They're ten years your younger!" Elyrias snapped. "Plus you missed the part where I tell you their target will be closer and they get to use a different bow. Accept or no?"

The older boys made a messy huddle, Kyrie and the other younger ones somehow outside of it. They talked about their options... and why they should do this. Arik, the supposed leader, stepped forward.

"And what would this bet...entail?"

Elyrias actually thought about that. He puckered his lips one more time before saying, "If I win, you all have to run up and down the Trail three times." There was some definite scare to that threat with how they all flinched. He smiled. "If you win, I let you choose what weapon we work on next."

The boys whispered to one another, _they _could choose _anything_? Arik half turned his head towards them to listen to what their comments were. He looked back at Elyrias. "One condition."

"What is it?" The Monkey asked harshly with an eyeroll.

"We choose who competes."

"Since you insist on choosing, I was just going to let all of you try, then, yes, you can choose the little one but I get to choose the three."

"We choose the girl!" One of the other boys called out. Kyrie looked at him. He was blond. Kyrie frowned. _She_ was the only girl down here.

"Deal." Elyrias said before Arik could protest. That didn't stop him from trying.

"Hey! Why does it have to be my girl?" At least he didn't bother saying it to Elyrias; he had turned back to the boys.

The blond one shrugged with a sheepish smile. "She's the youngest and, come one, she's a girl."

Arik pursed his lips and looked unhappy. What could he do? Help her and in turn help his "side" lose? Or not help her? Wouldn't that be bad? Not helping his own tadpole? That was his job! But what if she failed? Wouldn't that reflect on him? His jaw was tight when he crossed his arms. If she did pull if off though that would be...

"Cathal, Fagan, Ardo," The Monkey jabbed his thumb towards the bows. "You're up. Arik, move one of the targets closer."

Arik complied with a grumble. The three boys Elyrias chose looked uncomfortable, the blond boy was one of them. Arik understood what Elyrias' reasoning was. Those three were the worst shots out of them all, not to mention the youngest of the older boys. Arik grumbled about the whole thing as he moved the target until Elyrias ordered him to a stop.

Kyrie's eyes were wide and her fingers awkward when the old man handed her a bow. It was cold and her fingers probably wouldn't make it any warmer considering they felt as cold as the snow. Elyrias looked down at her and gave her a rare smile which let her see the gaps of missing teeth. It didn't scare her, which was something all on its own.

"Time starts now!" Instant twangs and whooshes answered as the arrows flew.

"Now, listen here," The Monkey crouched down so that his head was on the same level as hers. "This isn't so hard at all. These older ones make one big mistake, they start trying to think too much. I don't want you to think at all. Just listen and do what I tell you."

He maneuvered her hand into the correct spots telling her what he was doing.

"You've got to put one finger out to make sure the arrow stays in place." He moved the finger. "Before you pull back with this hand look at the target. You've got to feel that target. Feel it pulling that arrow right here thats in your hand...go!"

Kyrie pulled it back as much as she was able and released and felt almost like the arrow had a line connected to her and she could feel where it would go. And...it landed six feet in front of the target.

A cheer rose from the boys. One shouted out, "Eight down two more to go!"

The Monkey snorted. "Don't mind them. That was a very good first try. Do it again only this time see where you shot? Which way did the arrow need to go to get to the target?"

"Up." Was that right? If it had been up for a few more seconds surely it would have hit the target...right?

"Yes," Another cheer as someone hit the target. "But you can only move what you can control."

Using the advice Elyrias had given her, she moved without thinking. She shifted the bow up. Elyrias handed her another arrow and put it in the right spot for her. She took hold, pulled back and released!

The arrow flew and hit the target with a _thwack_. It wasn't anywhere near the middle, in fact if it had been just a little lower it wouldn't have been on the target at all. The boys stopped, quiet, so that when Elyrias sent up a whoop everyone heard it and winced. He was still laughing his triumph when he clapped Kyrie on the shoulder. She stumbled forward, bow still in hand.

"Oh let me take that," The Monkey said. "And I will see all of you tomorrow on the Trail. Off with you!"

Arik grinned. "You were so great!" His grin dropped for a moment, just a moment. "I have to run tomorrow but...you were still great!"

Kyrie smiled tentatively. The older boys were unhappy after that but more of the boys her own age talked to her, smiled, or waved. Even Jared and Elena had heard about it by the time dinner came.

"They let you use one of those things?!" Jared nearly shouted his excitement. Kyrie, too busy with the process of eating, simply nodded.

"I heard you hit somethin'!" Kyrie nodded again. Elena's mood had lightened not too long before on the day she'd realized her hair was growing back. In fact, hers grew faster than either Kyrie's or Jared's. She had almost a full inch of nut brown hair.

"No fair!" Jared groaned stabbing his thin slab of meat still on his plate. While Kyrie was practically done, Jared still looked like he needed to begin. Kyrie was always the first one done in their group—she still feared that someone would take it away from her at any moment—with Elena not too far behind but Jared never made a point of eating. Kyrie was eying his full plate when a voice at a table near their rose.

"I don't care what she did! She's still a girl!" She recognized Alander's voice. Jared and Elena did too because twin expressions of dislike came over their faces. Kyrie sunk down not wanting confrontation. She'd recoiled since the last time and it hadn't mattered too much, they'd all been much too tired for anything like, say, pushing someone into walls. But that hadn't stopped him from making remarks here and there.

Even if she didn't act out, the anger accumulated inside...building and boiling.

The next day, the snow had started to fall at around the time Arik and the others were running the Trail and hadn't stopped for the rest of the day. Kyrie and two other tadpoles had been sitting with the Monkey from a vantage point so that they could watch the Trail run and make sure no one cut corners, so to speak.

"You will have to run this someday, you know," Elyrias said.

"Nuh-uh," The boy sitting on his right answered.

"Of course you will. Don't be stupid, boy."

Even exhaustion from a long tiring run didn't stop Arik's incessant humming on their way to the main ladder. Except when they got there a huge crowd had accumulated.

"Wha's happening?" Arik asked the person closest to him.

"Emmett went down t' see if we'd be havin' Combat t'day." A boy with sloppy curls answered. Just as he was saying it everyone hushed. Emmett came up the creaky ladder.

"Sorry, guys, not today," Emmett announced which was followed by groans. "Pass on the word to anyone you see."

The crowd dispersed with unhappy whispers. Arik sighed but when he looked down at Kyrie his smile was back up. "Well, let's get you back so you can get some sleep. One more day!"

He hoisted Kyrie up onto his shoulders and by the third step he seemed to have made up a song or at least a tune to go with the words "one more day". He stopped only to say something to someone in passing.

"No Combat! One more day, one more day...hey turn around no Combat today! One more day! One. More. Day!" His hands were wrapped around Kyrie's ankles. It wasn't much of a comfort when his steps took on a jaunty skip. Her fingers took hold of his dark brown hair. "Ow, I'm going to need that hair. Oh, hey, no Combat. Don't bother going down there. _No_, I'm not lying!"

Kyrie was among the first ones back to the children's main room. One of the things she noticed, partly because it took so much time, baths were less frequent. Someone said something about frozen hair while others simply claimed it was harder to walk back and forth when one was wet, cold, and ultimately stiff. Luckily for everyone, the cold didn't provoke the smell or carry it far.

Arik rubbed her head one last time with an excited _one more day!_ and left.

Sleep came fast despite the noise of kids entering later with their chatter, footsteps, and a few shouts but the hardest to fight was the excitement that brushed off from Arik.

Others were already awake by the time Kyrie popped open an eye. Light filtered through thin sections in the wall proving that it was past dawn. She blinked to clear her vision. Jared was still asleep just like every other morning. That, at least, hadn't changed. Kyrie sat up and scratched her head. She looked around. Elena opened an eye but without a wakeup call she didn't want to get up.

Kyrie took the small blanket and wrapped it around herself. Two boys were chasing each other, jumping over sleeping bodies that didn't stay sleeping for long with their yelling. One of them attempted a jump only to fall on the person. It didn't end well and their game stopped when the door opened.

Only two people were standing there. They came into the room. One of them was Arik and he was saying, "I told you she'd be up, Mathia."

Mathia's blank face never looked pleasant until she smiled. She wasn't smiling now but neither was she frowning. She didn't even answer Arik. "Come on Elena, we're going."

Elena reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up. "Where we goin'?"

Her voice was soft with sleep instead of croaky. Arik stepped over sleeping bodies and held out a hand to Kyrie. Kyrie looked up at him and took his hand. He smiled and said the same thing as every other day, "Good morning."

"Mornin'." She responded like he'd told her to say time and time again. His smile brightened.

"Let's get outta here." They stepped out of the room, Mathia and Elena not far behind. Jared didn't so much as stir. "So, Mathia, why did you sign up for the first group?"

"Well I certainly didn't know you would be in it." Mathia answered evenly.

"That doesn't answer the question at all!" He laughed. "Well, I admit you do seem like the kind of person to be in the first group."

"What does that mean?" Her voice was hostile but she wouldn't look at him.

"It means...that you seem like the kind of person who'd want to get things done first thing." Mathia seemed kind of shocked by his answer and looked up at him momentarily. Kyrie thought her cheeks looked a bit pink but had no idea whether that was important or not.

"Well...I...you'd be right." Mathia looked down at Elena to make sure she was still there then said, "If I'm going to do something I like to tackle it and get it done. What about you?"

"Oh, well, I'm just so excited. Ever since we could choose when we wanted to go down I've been choosing the first group." His eyes were bright. He kind of leaned down like he was telling a secret. "And between you and me, we both know that the last group has to get everything that we forget."

Elena stopped walking. Just stopped. Mathia and Arik had walked a few steps before looking back. Elena looked at both of them and settled on Mathia, "Where are we going? Why isn't Jared going?"

Mathia went back to crouch in front of Elena. Mathia glanced back up,

"I'll see you later then, Mathia," Arik waved and pulled Kyrie along. He guided her into a wide, shallow seeming room. The ceiling was low and considering it was built into a mountain, somewhat oppressive. Inside were boxes and lumps of...well Kyrie didn't know. Arik didn't explain which showed how excited he really was.

"Gracie, where are you? I want to get down there as soon as possible." Arik called out as he stepped over a thick bundle. Kyrie tried to do the same but her shorter legs didn't quite reach over all the way and she ended up sitting on something that felt like poles until she slid over the side.

"Arik? Is that your voice I hear?" A female's voice called from the back. Some rustling followed from the same direction. Arik fixed his course. "Get back here and I'll take care of you."

When they finally found the woman Kyrie found that she recognized her. It was the first face she'd seen that didn't seem to belong which made it all the more memorable. She was the woman who wrote down her name months back.

"Where 's your husband?" Arik asked as he drew closer to her position on the ground. She was sitting amongst broken poles, something that looked like sheets, pen and a stack of paper in hand.

She looked up at Arik with a brief smile. Her hair was pulled back which made the gray streak stand out against the chestnut. "He decided to be down there first. Treya will be taking down the bulk this time."

Gracie looked down at her papers momentarily. She flipped through until she found what she was looking for. "Here you are. You plan on being in the hunt?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Arik grinned. Gracie's pale eyes found Kyrie.

"I don't think you're aloud to with a tadpole."

Arik's face momentarily scrunched into a look of confusion. "But people go all the time with their tadpoles."

"Not brand new ones," Gracie checked something off of her list before standing. She dusted off her front and back. "Now let's see, where are we?"

"How's Alair taking your attempt at organization?" Arik still wore a frown between his brows as if working through something in his head.

Gracie whirled, finger crooked to Arik. "Its been three years! I think that makes it a little more than an _attempt_."

A smile immediately pulled on Arik. "You should put in a bid for punishment times. I'd probably be able to help you organize."

Gracie's brows rose. "That's a good idea." A wry smile twisted her lips. "You can't just help me out in your free time out of the goodness of your heart?"

"It's from the goodness of my heart that I suggest it." Arik grinned. "Besides there's more of a chance I'll be in punishments than own free time--whatever that is anyways."

Gracie threw back her head and laughed. Pointing to a row of long, wrapped items she said. "Take number twenty-one and leave already."

Arik put his hand atop Kyrie's head, leading her as he liked to do. "Will do, Gracie!" He bent low to Kyrie. "Hm. Let's see what we can get you to carry..."

* * *

A/N: Oh, man. I still think we're moving at a good pace story-wise but me posting is another matter. -- 

Please review!! I really do love them!


	7. So Close to Midwinter Festivities

A/N: AND we find ourselves here yet again! Wow, guys I've been super busy since the school soccer season started. For the past three weekends we've had tournaments but I have finally finished this chapter!

ENJOY!

**So Close to Midwinter Festivities**

The backpack looked too large. Even on Arik, who was much bigger than her, the backpack looked too big. Arik wasn't showing any signs of strain yet even though it seemed they'd been walking forever. Arik had even managed to talk Gracie into giving him the workings for a small but fully functional rucksack. He then proceeded to fill it with two or three pots and pans wrapped in a blanket "to keep them quiet" as he said. He managed to slip in an assortment of other items to lighten his own load marginally.

All of this, while nothing compared to Arik's load, was placed on Kyrie to carry and it was weighing on her. It made Arik's unconcerned attitude mean that much more to her.

Kyrie touched the straps around her shoulders uncomfortably, wanting to resettle it but not knowing what exactly to move. At the sound of Arik's voice her fingers shot away from the cloth. He'd been silent for so long that the sound of his humming starting up again was a shock.

Kyrie caught a view of a brown valley. It reminded her of the vacant land they had come through on the trip up.

"Are we leavin'?"

Arik slowed his pace, looked down at her, humming gone and brows furrowed. "I thought you knew we were leaving."

"Th' mountains?" Kyrie scratched the back of her dry scalp. "Forever?"

Arik's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh! You meant _leaving_ leaving. No, we're just going to a private place."

"Private?" Kyrie's voice died to a whisper under Arik's close attention but she was curious enough to get it out.

"Yeah, you know, like a secret," He opened his eyes wide and put one finger over his lips. "Something nobody can know about."

"You know about it." Kyrie pointed out with the pure insight and innocence some children possess. It made Arik falter. But then Arik was the sort to have an answer to everything whether he knew it or not and something like this wouldn't keep him for long.

"But not _everyone_ knows it."

Kyrie thought about that for a moment. Were only they going? How was anyone else supposed to get there? "What about Elena?"

"Elena?" Arik paused. Then hit one fist into his other cupped hand. "Ah! The one with Mathia. She'll be there--"

"But you said..."

"Well, you see," Arik began and from there proceeded trying to explain how secrets worked and how this one was a secret even though it involved nearly everyone in her small world. It was quite a struggle trying to explain a secret when the secret in question _everyone_ did know, at least from Kyrie's point of view but that didn't stop Arik from trying. This conversation full of contradictions and badly put explanations lasted until they reached what looked like a wide, broad opening closed in with woods. A stream ribboned up close to the rocks from the trees and pooled on the northeast side half buried in the rocks.

Arik came to a complete stop, the smile on his face far brighter and more radiant than anything Kyrie had seen before like his excitement was a fire in his chest shining out through every pore. It sparked something in Kyrie just seeing it.

"Come on, Kyrie," Arik said nudging her on. "We'll find a good spot."

Kyrie finally examined the clearing and found small clusters of people with poles, what looked like thick sheets, and a mess of other things strewn about. Kyrie reached up and tugged on Arik's sleeve until he looked down at her. "What're they doin'?"

Arik looked where she was pointing for a moment and scoffed. "_Trying_ to set up tents. I—we will put them all to shame."

He hopped away from the last of the rocky terrain and motioned for Kyrie to do the same. He held his arms out and to catch her. She jumped and landed in his hold garnering a small "oof". Arik was up to carrying some weight but having all of the supplies and a child flying at him was more of a challenge. He set her down gently and they set off again.

The straps cut into Kyrie's collar bones more noticeably. She worked her finger underneath the strap on her left shoulder, rubbing it until it felt better and finding that scratching worked well too. Arik glanced down at her, looked away, and had to come back to it. He moved her hand, "Stop messing with it. You can put it down in a little while."

They drew close to the stream where those that had already come down were situated. There was only one tent completely set up and that was where Arik came to a stop.

"Hello?" He called overly loud. "This is Arik Vakerson signing in!"

A head emerged from the tent. Kyrie stepped back at the sight of him as he emerged and straightened up to his full, if slightly leaned, height. His face was hard and structured: even cheekbones, strong jaw, straight blunt-ended nose. Stubble textured his jaw and cheeks. His hair was a reddish blond, thin and soft looking despite the fact that it was cut short and stuck straight out from his head. It created a short halo around him that should have looked ridiculous but instead made him feral, like an animal.

He looked at the two of them, brows pulled down over tough, brown eyes then settled on Arik. Kyrie's shoulders relaxed marginally until the man spoke with his deep voice. "What is it Arik?"

Arik didn't seem intimidated by the bigger man the way Kyrie was but then Arik wasn't affected by much. "Signing in, sir!"

The man's face didn't change except for a minimal lowering of the brows. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Arik put his hand over his heart, opened his mouth to say something but the man nipped it in the bud. "Boy, if you want to be a Player leave now and never return. If you have something to tell me be done with it."

Taking the hand resting over his heart, Arik crooked one finger at the bigger, harsher looking man. "Alair, you are still my greatest and most favorite challenge."

"If I understood what was coming out of your mouth I'm sure I still wouldn't care," Alair's tan face turned fully to Kyrie. Black eyes widened. She had only seen the left side of his face from where she was standing but when he turned to her she found what lay on the other side. Where another bark-brown eye should have been there was only a thick covering of scars with one single line of it trailing down to his jaw bone.

He turned away as if he had never seen the rude shock on her face. "Ah, you've got one of mine. I was hoping after you'd left my group I wouldn't have to see you again."

"And here I've been hoping we might be bosom buddies."

"Leave, Arik."

Arik knew how far he could push someone, a knowing that seemed innate but might probably have been won through experience. He hefted up the bag he had put down, saluted and pushed Kyrie along laughing all the while.

"Who was that?" Kyrie whispered more as an after effect from Alair's presence than anything else.

"That was Alair, the Shang Lion," Arik said with a Player's grandeur. He chuckled and broke apart the act. "Remember his face. He will be in control of your life for the next four years whether you know it or not."

Kyrie doubted she would be able to forget his face. She swallowed, wanting to ask what had happened to his face. Another child might have asked, another child might have even asked Alair himself, but Kyrie held herself back. It was this inhibitive nature that Arik worked to break her of but in some instances she would not be broken of it and this was one of those times.

It didn't matter though. Arik's mind was already on another subject.

Arik dumped their stuff in the most concentrated area of people: near the tarn which was obviously the most ideal place to be. It was still early though and "concentrated" translated to five or six other tents. It was around eight or nine people in all counting the tadpoles.

It was a very specific space left empty between two other tents where Arik had them set up. (Kyrie was rather amazed at his efficiency and felt slow and stupid when he asked her to come over for help or an explanation).

"Arik!" A voice called from behind them, someone leaving the tarn, no doubt.

"Hey, Yzark," Arik stood, wiping his brow and turning with a smile. "Thanks for keeping an eye on my spot."

"Oh, no problem," Yzark pushed some of his brown hair out of his gray eyes. "I don't think anyone would have taken it anyways. You know, 'specially after last 'ear."

"I thought it was the year before that."

"Mayhap it was at that!" He laughed. "Either way, I bet you'll be a big contender these next coupl'a days."

A queer little smile lit up Arik's face. "I sure hope so."

Yzark stared at him just as curiously as Kyrie did before laughing again. "When do ya think Amasse will be comin' down?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Neh. You know Amasse. He gives the same answer every year." Yzark put his hand on his neck, fluttered his eyes and pitched his voice high. "I'll be down when I damn well please."

Arik laughed. "My bet is for this evening."

Yzark nodded. "Well, me, him, an' some o' the other guys were talkin' an' we wanted to know if you wanted t' join our circle for the Midwinter celebrations."

"Who's all going to be there?"

"You if you want, me, Amasse, Cathal, Ardo definitely," Yzark stopped there even though it seemed like he might have gone on.

"Sounds fun," Arik nodded slowly.

"You don't sound convinced."

"Well.." Arik looked down at Kyrie then back up at Yzark. "As long as I don't have to cook."

Arik knew very well they wouldn't have asked him to cook even if all of their hands here temporarily crippled. It was just another thing people had come to know about him. Instructors joked that once he was a Shang on his own he'd simply starve or accidentally poison himself. They wanted him there not only for his joyous presence but because he tended to bring in a good haul in the hunt.

Yzark laughed again, "That's what we've got Ardo for, he's got a natural talent and taste for such things. He may not be good in the ways of fist and sword but he's got the stomach down pat."

"Alright, alright! I'm in."

Yzark gave Kyrie a curious stare. "Are you going to be able to join the hunt with a tadpole? That's why I'm not doing it this year, because of Xavier."

"Sure, sure," Arik waved him off.

* * *

"What do you mean I can't join the hunt?" Arik demanded later that day. Kyrie had never seen him so mad. Ever. She hoped she never had to again. She cringed away from his hard tone. 

Emmett and Alair were in agreement here. Emmett had more power over the matter since he watched over all of the Shang organization here but Alair was head of the younger ones and he was involved too. Kyrie was better at not staring. In fact, it was all too easy to look away. The two of them standing next to each other was a juxtaposition of sorts. Emmett was physically larger, his face kinder looking in its more classic good looks and dark hair. Whereas Alair, while a smaller built man, simply looked more dangerous.

"We've agreed on this. You cannot go on the hunt with a child." Emmett said firmly as Alair nodded.

Arik let out a strangled sound. "I'm not going to bring her with me!"

Alair raised his pale reddish brows. "She is your responsibility."

Arik's jaw went rigid. He was silent for a small while and when he spoke it was as tight as his jaw looked. "I wasn't going to leave her tied to a tree. What if I found someone to take care of her while I went on the hunt."

"She is _your_--"

"Then wouldn't it be my responsibility to make sure she's taken care of?" Arik cut in on Alair.

"You interrupt me boy," Alair had one finger crooked toward Arik, face dangerous, when Emmett put a hand on his shoulder.

"Alair, he has a point." A bit of relief whispered through Arik. Emmett turned a stern face to him. "You can leave her in someone else's care but just remember if anything happens to her, its still on you."

"Of course!" A smile broke out on his face. There was a bit of innocence in Arik. While someone else might have sent a satisfied look toward Alair, triumphant or smug, Arik was simply happy. He left with a loud, "Thank you!"

Alair shook his head slowly, "You just can't hate that kid, can you?"

Emmett smirked. "He's ... different."

"And he manages to get what he wants," Alair said gruffly though without any real hard feelings.

"I think he'll have luck in life," Emmett said.

* * *

"They look rather popular," Eda motioned to a group of Shang-in-training laughing around their own fire. Usually when the youngsters created their own circles apart from the main group it garnered four or five people. They had gathered up to ten from what she could see, not counting the tadpoles. 

Emmett looked up from handing the Wildcat another snatch of rabbit. "I think Arik's over there."

Eda snorted. "Figures."

It wasn't uncommon for the students to split off from the main group. Quite the opposite but most came back to the main group after they'd picked at their nearly inedible food or meager draws. That group seemed to be doing fine in both departments.

"Treya checked in on them not too long ago, they're fine," Emmett said scratching his chin thoughtfully.

Eda made a noncommittal sound. "Have you decided what its going to be this year?"

"The tournament went well last year," Emmett smiled. "I think everyone enjoyed it and I'm sure some of them will want that again."

"But?"

The Tiger spread his hands out before him and shrugged. "You know I try to keep them on their toes. It may not be as fun but its been a while since we did Challenges."

"Ah," Eda smiled dryly. "They always get so petty though."

"And motives behind life aren't?" Emmett laughed. "We may be secluded but we don't try to shelter these kids."

Eda nodded, lips slightly pressed together and sighed.

"Something's on your mind," Emmett said curiously.

She put both of her hands over her head to stretch. "It can wait. Give me five minutes and I"ll go check on those kids."

* * *

Kyrie was staring. There was a lot of movement around her, a lot of noise too, and even though her eyes wandered they managed to come back to one source. 

It was a boy. One she remembered seeing before and could easily pinpoint again since his features were so...gripping. Child though he was, he couldn't have been more than three years older than her, he looked far older. She'd been staring at him to see if she could catch a smile on his face, curious as to how a face like his would look with one.

Would it take away from the sharpness? His black curly hair didn't. Perhaps he would look less mean. Would he be less appealing if he looked like a nicer person?

His name was Xavier. She'd learned that today. He was Yzark's tadpole and the boy she remembered seeing in Eda Bell's class.

"Kyrie, are you still hungry?" Sarah asked her pulling her eyes away from the boy. Kyrie had stayed with her all day while Arik was away.

She smiled up at Sarah and shook her head. There had been plenty of food. Soup, cuts of meat, bread and she took more than her fill which was why she was so stationary. Moving was uncomfortable!

Arik approached, laughing at some lingering joke. "Thanks, Sarah. You made the day, really."

She gave him a look. "Of course I did."

"Oh! Someone wants a hug as a thank you, I can sense it!" He attached himself to her before she could move away.

"No! No I don't!" She shouted, trying futilely to shove him off. "Get off of me!"

He rubbed his face against her cheek. "I can feel the love, really."

Arik persisted until he had Sarah half-laughing half-protesting. Finally, he let her push him away. "Arik, you are too much."

He beamed. "So will you take care of her when I fight tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"You're the--"

"Best." She finished. "I know."

* * *

A/N: Tell me what's on your mind! I NEED to know! 

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